Podcasts, radio shows, writing and more by Alex Fitch
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Next week’s show: Learning from the Past and Future
March 26, 2024
Excerpts from Free Pass by Julian Hanshaw, and The Raggered Trousered Philanthropists and No Surrender by Sophie and Scarlett Rickard
Alex Fitch talks to creators whose work set in the past and future offer salient warnings about the present. Julian Hanshaw discusses his graphic novel Free Pass which tells the tale of a couple who let a robot join in their intimate relationships, while Sophie and Scarlett Rickard chat about their comic book adaptations of Edwardian protest novels The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists and No Surrender. Both interviews recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton.
5.30pm, Wednesday 3rd April 2024, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 7th April 2024, Resonance 104.4 FM + DAB (London) / broadcast streamed at www.resonancefm.com / Resonance Replay stream on mixcloud.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com
More info: Hanshaw’s Instagram site
Interview with Julian Hanshaw in RyeZine
The Rickard Sisters’ website
Info about Julian Hanshaw, and Sophie and Scarlett Rickard on publisher SelfMadeHero’s website
The Rickard Sisters’ Instagram site
Panel Borders: Life Drawing
March 11, 2024
Examples of “Nick Draws Neighbours” by Nick Sayers, and extracts from “This Might Surprise You: A Cancer Memoir” by Hayley Gullen
Life Drawing: In a pair of interviews recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of artists whose work is drawn from life. Nick Sayers discusses his projects Nick Draws Neighbours, and Nick Draws Nationals which see the artist pencil likenesses of people met locally and on zoom to compile vignettes of life during lockdown and beyond. Also, Hayley Gullen chats about her graphic memoir in process – This Might Surprise You – which chronicles her diagnosis of, and recovery from cancer, which was shortlisted for the 2023 Caliburn Prize for Comics.
Originally broadcast 6th March 2024 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org (more…)
This week’s show: Life Drawing
March 4, 2024
Examples of “Nick Draws Neighbours” by Nick Sayers, and extracts from “This Might Surprise You: A Cancer Memoir” by Hayley Gullen
In a pair of interviews recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of artists whose work is drawn from life. Nick Sayers discusses his projects Nick Draws Neighbours, and Nick Draws Nationals which see the artist pencil likenesses of people met locally and on zoom to compile vignettes of life during lockdown and beyond. Also, Hayley Gullen chats about her graphic memoir in process – This Might Surprise You – which chronicles her diagnosis of, and recovery from cancer, which was shortlisted for the 2023 Caliburn Prize for Comics.
5.30pm, Wednesday 6th March 2024, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 10th March 2024, Resonance 104.4 FM + DAB (London) / broadcast streamed at www.resonancefm.com / Resonance Replay stream on mixcloud.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com
Links: Hayley Gullen’s pages on Twitter / X and Instagram
Order the short comic Hayley’s Guide to Chemo from Colossal Cartographies
Nick Sayers’ pages on Twitter / X and Instagram
Info about the projects Nick Draws Neighbours, and Nick Draws Nationals by Nick Sayers on Behance
Next week’s show: Euro Visions
February 3, 2024
Art from Je Ne Sais Quoi by Lucie Arnoux / Dylan Dog, Across the Spider-Verse and homage to The Seventh Seal by Gigi Cavenago
In a pair of interviews with European artists now working in English, Alex Fitch talks to Gigi Cavenago about his work on iconic characters such as Dylan Dog / Batman, and Spider-Man in Across the Spider-Verse, and to Lucie Arnoux about her autobiographical graphic novel Je Ne Sais Quoi and illustrating the comics adaptations of the Enola Holmes novels by Nancy Springer. Recorded at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, and Cartoon County, Brighton.
5.30pm, Wednesday 7th February 2024, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 11th February 2024, Resonance 104.4 FM + DAB (London) / broadcast streamed at www.resonancefm.com / Resonance Replay stream on mixcloud.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com
Links: Lucie Arnoux’s website and instagram site
Review of Je Ne Sais Quoi in The Guardian
Gigi Cavenago’s youtube channel and instagram site
Info about Gigi Cavenago on Idea Academy
Panel Borders: Transformers and Translators
October 11, 2023
Transformers, Venom and The Ultimates art by Bryan Hittch / Ivanka Hahnenberger at Bologna comics fair / covers of graphic novels translated by Ivanka
Transformers And Translators: In the first of this year’s autumn series of Panel Borders, Alex Fitch talks to Bryan Hitch, a comics artist renowned for his work on Transformers and super-hero titles, and to Ivanka Hahnenberger who has translated numerous award-winning European graphic novels into English, and works in promoting the medium at various events. Recorded at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, and Cartoon County, Brighton.
Originally broadcast 6th September 2023 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org (more…)
Panel Borders: Historical Comics
August 1, 2023
— 3 Comments
Promotional image for Uproar! by Alice Loxton / cover of Brexit, Betrayal, Booze and Babies by Teresa Robertson, and excerpt from The Comical Eye’s British Monarchy by Robertson and Leo Schulz
Historical Comics: In a programme looking at comics from and about history, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of female creators about their work. Alice Loxton discusses her book Uproar! Satire, Scandal and Printmakers in Georgian London which delves into the lives of early cartoon satirists – Thomas Rowlandson, Isaac Cruikshank and James Gillray – in an interview recorded at The Cartoon Museum. And, in a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County, Teresa Robertson chats about her autobiographical comics, and illustrating the educational pamphlet The Comical Eye’s British Monarchy from Alfred the Great to Charles III written by Leo Schulz and tells the history of the royality in Britain, published by Self Made Hero.
Originally broadcast 5th July 2023 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org
Links: Info about Uproar! on Icon Books’ website
Links to Alice Loxton’s video content on tiktok and instagram via her website
Teresa Robertson’s website and shop
Info about The Comical Eye’s British Monarchy (more…)
Panel Borders: Exploring Human Behaviour
July 2, 2023
Alex Fitch, Alex Frith, Veronika Muchitsch and Daniel Locke discuss the graphic novels Two Heads and Cyberman in a Q and A at Waterstones, Brighton (photo by Myf Tristram)
Exploring Human Behaviour: In a programme looking at non-fiction graphic novels that explore human behaviour, Alex Fitch chairs a panel discussion with a trio of comic creators about their work. Veronika Muchitsch discusses her book Cyberman which investigates a year in the life of webcammer Ari Kivikangas, plus Daniel Locke and Alex Frith chat about their collaboration – Two Heads – with the latter’s parents, Uta and Chris Frith, detailing their research into how the human brain works, recorded at Waterstones, Brighton (photo by Myf Tristram).
Originally broadcast 3rd May 2023 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org
Links: Info about Cyberman on publisher Myriad Editions’ website
Veronica Muchitsch’s website
Buy Two Heads from publisher Bloomsbury’s website
Info about Two Heads on artist Daniel Locke’s website
Articles by Alex Frith on Usborne’s website
Kickstarter campaign for Daniel Locke and David Blandy’s RPG Eco-Mofos (ends July 27th 2023) (more…)
Panel Borders: Challenging Lives
May 31, 2023
Extracts from The English G.I. by Jonathan Sandler and Brian Bicknell / Can’t Not Won’t by Eliza Fricker
Challenging Lives: In this ‘feature length’ podcast looking at comics that detail some extraordinarily challenging lives in biography and autobiography, a pair of graphic novelists discuss with Alex FItch their work on this topic. Cartoonist and designer Eliza Fricker dicusses her book Can’t Not Won’t: A Story about a child who couldn’t go to school, which illustrates her experiences of raising a child who suffers from Pathological Demand Avoidance, and writer Jonathan Sandler talks about turning his father’s wartime memories into the graphic novel The English G.I.: A World War II Graphic Memoir. Both interviews recorded in front of a live audience at Cartoon County.
Shorter edit broadcast 5th April 2023 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org
Links: Eliza Fricker’s website – Missing the Mark
Books illustrated by Eliza Fricker on the Jessica Kingsly Publishing website
Jonathan Sandler’s Graphic Memoir website
Review of The English G.I. in The Jewish Chronicle
Clear Spot: Guantanamo Voices
February 17, 2023
— 1 Comment
Covers of Guantanamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould Slahi / Guantanamo Voices edited by Sarah Mirk / Photos of Andy Worthington, Alex Fitch and Sarah Mirk / Close Guantanamo website
Guantanamo Voices: To discuss the 21st anniversary of the opening of Guantanamo Bay, and the lives of the people still incarcerated there, Alex Fitch talks to writer Sarah Mirk about her graphic novel anthology Guantanamo Voices, which tells the tale of ten people associated with the prison, and to journalist Andy Worthington about his continuing campaign to Close Guantanamo. Also, Worthington talks with Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a former prisoner of the site about his experiences, in a Q and A introduced by lecturer Sara Birch, recorded at the University of Brighton in 2022.
Partially broadcast 23rd January 2022 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org
Links: Sarah Mirk’s website including info on Guantanamo Voices
Alex’s previous interview with Sarah about her political comics anthology The Nib
Andy Worthington’s website and Close Guantanmo campaign
Andy’s band The Four Fathers on bandcamp
Buy Mohamedou’s book The Mauritanian, previous published as Guantanamo Diary from bookshop.org
Info about Sara Birch’s conference ‘Guantanamo: 20 Years After’, at the University of Brighton
Panel Borders: Local And Locas Stories – Jaime Hernandez and Susan Sainsbury
December 18, 2022
Pages from Love and Rockets: Maggie the Mechanic, and Flies on the Ceiling by Jaime Hernandez / Hernandez chats to Alex Fitch at LICAF / pages from Cheery Cak, Big Knickers and work in progress by Susan Sainsbury
Local And Locas Stories: In this ‘feature length’ podcast, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of comics creators whose work is based around representation of marginalised people and cultures in specific times and places. Graphic novelist Susan Sainsbury discusses her Worthing based titles Kitty and Cheery Cak, about female lives lived on the South Coast of England, recorded at Cartoon County; and acclaimed cartoonist Jaime Hernandez celebrates the 40th anniversary of the award winning comic Love and Rockets, featuring L.A. punks, down-at-heel superheroes, and LGBTQ+ musicians in a Q and A recorded at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival.
Partially broadcast 7th December 2022 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org
Links: Susan Sainsbury’s website and instagram site
Buy eBooks of Susan’s graphic novels
Info about Jaime Hernandez at publisher Fantagraphics website
Review of Flies on the Ceiling at ‘How to love Comics’ website
Articles on gay superheroes and comic book diversity by Alex Fitch in The Conversation
Panel Borders: Curating and Creating Comics
October 18, 2022
Covers of Mary and Agnes, and Now Wash Your Hands by Cathy Brett, plus photo of her work space including elements of Mrs. Thorwald: The Victim’s Story / Photo of Henny Beaumont in the Invisible People exhibition at Worthing Museum, plus Lost Generation (Covid cartoon of the year 2021)
Curating and Creating Comics: As the start of a new season of Panel Borders, the UK’s only monthly broadcast radio show about comics, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of artists whose work includes autobiography, museum display, and responses to Covid and Lockdown. In a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County, Henny Beaumont chats about the exhibition Invisible People, which features art based on her graphic novel Hole in the Heart and political cartoons alongside work by neurodiverse artists, and how she sequed into satirical work for The Guardian. Cathy Brett discusses her comic Mary and Agnes, about her grandmother’s friendship with Mary Trump, as featured in the BBC Alba documentary The President’s Mother, her work in three-dimensional collages and reliefs, and her new role as a curator at Leatherhead Museum.
Invisible People is on display Wednesday to Sunday at Worthing Museum and Gallery until 30th Oct 2022.
Cathy Brett is shortlisted for Surrey Artist of the Year 2022, which is on display Tuesday to Saturday at New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham until 5th November 2022.
For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org (more…)
Panel Borders: Sporting Titles
May 7, 2022
Comics by Ellen Lindner and Josh Hicks / photos of Lindner, FItch and Hicks
Sporting Titles: In a pair of interviews recorded at Cartoon County, Alex Fitch talks to cartoonists whose recent work has been on sports themed comics. Ellen Lindner chats about her project ‘A History of Gender Rebellion in Baseball’ – which has generated the comic, Lost Diamonds and two issues of the zine The Cranklet’s Chronicle, so far and looks at how female presenting people, and people of colour have been marginalised by the sport, and Josh Hicks discusses Glorious Wrestling Alliance, which follows the escapades of ‘the universe’s least-professional wrestling company’, as well running Carp Publishing Endeavours, a micropress based out of Cardiff, plus his work on animating a pop video for the Foo Fighters.
Originally broadcast 6th April 2022 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more formats to stream or download, please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org
Links: Ellen Lindner’s website
The Strumpet comic website
Josh Hicks’ website
Carp Publishing Endeavors website
Panel Borders: Historical Adventures
February 4, 2022
Historical Adventures: Alex Fitch talks to artists Warren Pleece and Edith (Grattery) about their work on historical graphic novels. In a Q &A recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton, Pleece discusses the joy of rendering adventures set in the past, and the importance of creating comics featuring people of colour who often get excised from history, when drawing the books Freedom Bound and Incognegro: Renaissance. Plus, in an interview recorded at Amiens comics festival, Edith explores her technique and references, including inspiration from Gustave Doré, when rendering Basil & Victoria and her adaptation of Tom’s Midnight Garden, dramas set in Victorian England and beyond.
Partially broadcast 2nd February 2022 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
Links: For more info, and links to various download formats, please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org
Warren Pleece’s website
Edith’s profile on Lambiek
(more…)
Panel Borders: Drawn from Memory
December 31, 2021
Drawn from Memory: In this episode, Alex Fitch talks to Sabba Khan about her graphic novel The Roles We Play which mixes infographics, comics autobiography, and family history of forced migration from Mirpur in Pakistan, as well as her architectural practice, and previous comics such as Roti which show an interest in construction and repetition. Q and A recorded at Cartoon County.
Partially broadcast 1st December 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
Links: For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit the home of this episode at archive.org
Sabbah Khan’s website
More info about The Roles We Play on Myriad Editions’ website
Buy The Roles We Play on Amazon UK
Listen to Sabba Khan’s presentation about her previous comics work at LDComics
Panel Borders: Superhuman Creatures
November 4, 2021
Superhuman Creatures: In a belated Halloween episode, Alex Fitch talks to a couple of artists whose work features mutated humanoid figures in haunted landscapes. Alex talks to veteran artist John Totleben about working with Alan Moore on classic 1980s titles Swamp Thing and Miracleman, and to cartoonist Josephine Mairead King Edwards about comics P.S., and The Will o’the Wisp – the latter recently reprinted by Breakdown Press – in a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County.
Partially broadcast 3rd November 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
Links: For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit the home of this episode at archive.org
JMKE’s website
Info about the Breakdown Press reprint of The Will o’the Wisp
Scans of The Comic Journal interviews with Moore, Bissette and Totleben
Order the Saga of the Swamp Thing paperback Box Set and issues of Miracleman by John Totleben on Amazon
Listen to Alex’s interviews with Steve Bissette and Alan Moore about working on Swamp Thing
Panel Borders: Telling Truths
October 8, 2021
— 1 Comment
Interior art from Livestock, Graphic Science, Fukishima and Such, Such Were The Joys
Telling Truths: Alex Fitch talks to a quartet of graphic novelists whose work reflects events from history over the last hundred years. In a panel discussion recorded at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, Hannah Berry, Darryl Cunningham and Fumio Obata discuss how their work is based on recent culture and economics regarding graphic novels Livestock, Graphic Science and Fumio’s Fukishima comic. Also, cartoonist Jaime Huxtable talks about illustrating the graphic novel adaptation of George Orwell’s autobiographical essay Such, Such Were The Joys, with script by Sean Michael Wilson, in a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County.
Partially broadcast 7th October 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
Links: For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit the home of this episode at archive.org
Hannah Berry’s website
Darryl Cunningham’s blog
Fumio Obata’s website
Jaime Huxtable’s website (more…)
Panel Borders: Edible Ensembles
September 13, 2021
— 1 Comment
Interior art from Biscuits / Photos of Jenny Robins and Jason Scott Smith / Interior art from Marble Cake
Edible Ensembles: In the second of two early Autumn specials, Alex Fitch chats to the creators of graphic novels with diverse ensemble casts. Jenny Robins discusses her graphic novel Biscuits (Assorted), which presents a snapshot of the intertwining lives of modern women from diverse backgrounds; Scott Jason Smith explores his book Marble Cake, a magical realist look at a community in South London, in Q and As recorded at Cartoon County.
Partially broadcast 1st September 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
Links: For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org
More info about Biscuits (Assorted) from publisher Myriad Editions
Jenny Robins website and etsy shop
Jenny Robins and Scott Jason Smith on Instagram
More info about Marble Cake from publisher Avery Hill
Scott Jason Smith website
Comics by SJS on issuu and Top Shelf 2.0
Panel Borders: Diverse Superheroes
September 1, 2021
Interior art from The ME Generation / Photos of Eve Greenwood and Colin Brake / Interior art from Inhibit
Diverse Superheroes: In the first of two early Autumn specials, Alex Fitch chats to the creators of superhero comics with diverse ensemble casts. Eve Greenwood talks about their superhero webcomic Inhibit and LGBT+ publishing house Quindre Press, in a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County.
Also, former Eastenders writer Colin Brake discusses the history of his kickstarted comic The ME Generation to be drawn by artist Yishan Li, and how he nearly became the Doctor Who script editor in the early 1990s.
N.B./ The ME Generation kickstarter ends Wednesday September 8th / Quindrie Press’ When I Was Me kickstarter ends September 29th 2021
Partially broadcast 1st September 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
Links: For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org
Eve Greenwood website, including page on Inhibit
More info about Quindrie Press
Info about Colin Brake on Wikipedia and IMDb filmography
Panel Borders: Good Comics
August 10, 2021
Covers of The Good Comics Reader 1 + 2, Dead Singers Society 3, and cover and interior art from Cosmos and other stories by Rozi Hathaway
Good Comics: Alex Fitch looks at the output of small press publishing house Good Comics, in a pair of interviews with two of their creators. Editor / co-publisher Paddy Johnston talks about the founding of the imprint based on the success of their initial title Dead Singers Society, and artist Rozi Hathaway discusses her collection Cosmos and Other Stories, and contributions to the Good Comics Reader.
Good Comics will be selling their wares at the Hackney Comics and Zine Fair, online throughout September. Recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton in front of a live audience.
Originally broadcast 4th August 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
Links: For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org
Good Comics website
Paddy Johnston’s website
Rozi Hathaway’s website
Listen to Alex’s interview with Eleanor Crewes about All the Times I Knew I was Gay
Panel Borders (Episode 501): Anticipating the Future
July 10, 2021
Images from Full Tilt Boogie and Madi: Once Upon a Time in the Future written by Alex DeCampi / Images from Infinitum: An Afrofuturism Tale and Matty’s Rocket
Anticipating the Future: In the 501st episode of Panel Borders, Alex Fitch talks to a couple of creators who work on Science-Fiction Comics. In a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County, writer Alex DeCampi discusses her YA serial Full Tilt Boogie serialised in 2000AD and recently collected as a book, and working with director Duncan Jones on adapting his unmade film Madi: Once Upon a Time in the Future as a graphic novel. Also, Alex chats to artist Tim Fielder about his epic graphic novel Infinitum: An Afrofuturism Tale which covers millennia in the life of an immortal who observes the rise and fall of humanity, and his ‘diesel-punk’ comics series Matty’s Rocket.
Originally broadcast 7th July 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
Links: For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org
Info about Madi: Once Upon a Time in the Future on publisher Z2 Comics website, and Full Tilt Boogie on 2000AD website
Info about Infinitum: An Afrofuturism Tale on Harper Collins’ website
Tim Fielder’s website, including page on Matty’s Rocket
Alex DeCampi’s website (more…)
Panel Borders and other podcasts 
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